diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5066caac9..762689d07 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@
 [`logroot`]: #logroot
 [Log security]: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/logs.html#security
 
+[`manage_docroot`]: #manage_docroot
 [`manage_user`]: #manage_user
 [`manage_group`]: #manage_group
 [`MaxConnectionsPerChild`]: https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/mod/mpm_common.html#maxconnectionsperchild
@@ -1886,6 +1887,8 @@ Sets the list of resources to look for when a client requests an index of the di
 
 **Required**. Sets the [`DocumentRoot`][] location, from which Apache serves files.
 
+If `docroot` and [`manage_docroot`][] are both set to `false`, no [`DocumentRoot`][] will be set and the accompanying `<Directory /path/to/directory>` block will not be created.
+
 ##### `docroot_group`
 
 Sets group access to the [`docroot`][] directory. Defaults to 'root'.
diff --git a/manifests/vhost.pp b/manifests/vhost.pp
index 25530bccb..36d425ef1 100644
--- a/manifests/vhost.pp
+++ b/manifests/vhost.pp
@@ -227,6 +227,12 @@
   if $limit_request_field_size {
     validate_integer($limit_request_field_size)
   }
+
+  # Validate the docroot as a string if:
+  # - $manage_docroot is true
+  if $manage_docroot {
+    validate_string($docroot)
+  }
   # Input validation ends
 
   if $ssl and $ensure == 'present' {
@@ -271,7 +277,7 @@
 
   # This ensures that the docroot exists
   # But enables it to be specified across multiple vhost resources
-  if ! defined(File[$docroot]) and $manage_docroot {
+  if $manage_docroot and $docroot and ! defined(File[$docroot]) {
     file { $docroot:
       ensure  => directory,
       owner   => $docroot_owner,
@@ -443,7 +449,7 @@
       fail("Apache::Vhost[${name}]: 'directories' must be either a Hash or an Array of Hashes")
     }
     $_directories = $directories
-  } else {
+  } elsif $docroot {
     $_directory = {
       provider       => 'directory',
       path           => $docroot,
@@ -518,10 +524,12 @@
   # Template uses:
   # - $virtual_docroot
   # - $docroot
-  concat::fragment { "${name}-docroot":
-    target  => "${priority_real}${filename}.conf",
-    order   => 10,
-    content => template('apache/vhost/_docroot.erb'),
+  if $docroot {
+    concat::fragment { "${name}-docroot":
+      target  => "${priority_real}${filename}.conf",
+      order   => 10,
+      content => template('apache/vhost/_docroot.erb'),
+    }
   }
 
   # Template uses:
diff --git a/templates/vhost/_docroot.erb b/templates/vhost/_docroot.erb
index 6039fa63c..b67998b4b 100644
--- a/templates/vhost/_docroot.erb
+++ b/templates/vhost/_docroot.erb
@@ -2,6 +2,6 @@
   ## Vhost docroot
 <% if @virtual_docroot -%>
   VirtualDocumentRoot "<%= @virtual_docroot %>"
-<% else -%>
+<% elsif @docroot -%>
   DocumentRoot "<%= @docroot %>"
 <% end -%>